Apparatus for cutting and mixing sand



June 3, 1924. l I I 1,496,758

V. E. MiNlCH APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND MIXING SAND K37 7746 Z: nig/ 1,496,758 V. E. MINICH APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND'MIXING SAND Filed Oct. 27. 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 3 '1924.

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June 3, 1924. 1,496,758

v. E. MINICH APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND MIXING SAND Filed Oct.. 27, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A 7 306/ 22; V e iii/76 m June 3, 1924'.

- v. E. MINICH APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND MIXING SAND Filed Oct. 27 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Vmw rm? Patented June 3, 1924.

VERNE E. MINICH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

nise AS SIG-1 TO=BJ TO THE. AMERICAN FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y.. A CORPORATION OF OHIQ- APPARATUS FOR CUTTING ANDIMIXINGSAND.

Application filed October 2?, 191a.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VERNE E. MINIGH, a citizen of the United States, residin at New York city, in the county of New l ork and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Cutting and Mixing Sand, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for cutting and mixing sand, and especially to apparatus for mixing the sand used in foundries tomake molds in which the metal is cast.

The invention relates-more particularly to that type of sand cutters or mixers which travel over the heap of sand, cutting and mixing it and leaving it in a condition ready for use by the molders, in which type of apparatus it has been customary heretofore to have the cutting or mixing devices mounted on wheels which travel over the ground on which the sand lies.

One object of the present invention is to provide a practical and eflicient apparatus of the class specified.

Another object of the invention is to arrange for the ready adaptation of the machine to the size or height of the pile of sand to be cut' or mixed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simple and advantageousdevices for cutting or mixing the sand; to arrange for v the easy and effective operatlon and control gear shifting mechanism 22' having a gear of the same, and also for the quick and ready propulsion of the vehicle; and to secure the foregoing and other useful results in a simple and advantageous manner.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sand cutting and IIllX ing machine embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 4; is a view of the cutting and mixing devices; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings I show a machine in the nature of a traveling vehicle having a body' frame 1 mounted on relatively large rear wheels 2 and relatively member 9.

Serial No. 333,807.

members 4; and 7, and a cross member 9 extending between the upright members 8"-8. Other members l010 extend in an inclined manner from the rear ends of the side members' 4 and 7, respectively, upwardly and 'rearwardly, and are secured to the upper ends ofthe uprights 8 just below the cross Said members 10 are furthermore extended in rear of the uprights 8 to provide bracket supports for bearings l2-l2 for a cross shaft 13 whose purpose will be explained hereafter.

The front wheels '33 are mounted in forks 14, the upperends of which are "proid'ed with spindles l6 confined in bearings 15 carried by the'body frame of the machine. The upper ends of thefspindl'es' 16 are provided with handles 17 by which said wheels 8 may be turned for steering purposes. The handles 17 are connected together by a rod 18 so th-at'sai'd handles may be operated in unison.

.A cross member or support 20 is mounted on the side members 4, 5, 6 and 7, and arranged for supporting certain portions of the operating mechanism. An electric motor 21 is supported by said cross member 20 through the medium of a short cross piece '22, Fig. 5. This electric motor 21 is intendbe described further than to say that any one of the well known gear shifting devices known on the market may be employed, the I same being provided with a lever 25 operating in a slot 26 by which the gear shifting mechanism may be so controlled that a movement of lever 25 in one direction will apply power of the motor in one direction, and a movement of said lever in a reverse direction will apply power of said motor in a reverse direction. Said lever 25 is understood to have two positions on each side of the center, so as to give two speeds forward, and two speeds back. A main driving shaft27 passes through the gear shifting device 22 and is so connected and controlled that by moving the lever 25 in one way said shaft 27 will be rotated by the motor power in one direction and by moving said lever 25 in the other way said motor power will be applied to drive said shaft 27 in the other direction.

The main driving shaft 27 is connected by means of sprocket chains 2828 passing over sprockets 29-29 and 3030, respectively, on the shaft 27 and axles of front or driving wheels 2 with said wheels 2, so that said driving wheels may be driven in one direction or the other to advance or retract the machine.

There is also driving connection between the main driving shaft 27 and the cutting and mixing mechanism. This latter mechanism desirably comprises a pair of rotary members 31 preferably in conical form arranged side by side with their ends pointing inwardly and downwardly, so that their tips or points come close together, as well shown in Fig. 3. Each of these rotary members 31 is mounted on.a rotary shaft 32, and these shafts 32 are carried by upper bearings 33-33 and by lower bearings 34.-34t. Each of the rotary members 31 is provided with a hub 35 mounted on the shaft 32 and having arms 3636 radiating to and preferably integral with an annular rim 37. Cutting or mixing blades 38 extend from the rim 37 to a second annular rim 39 mounted on the shaft 32 near the bearing 34. The blades 38 are adapted to cut and mix the sand and converge toward bearings 34 so as to give the conical shape to said rotary members 31.

The lower bearings 34 are carried by and secured to the lower end of a hanger 410 which is extended up and secured to a carriage 11, which latter is made vertically adjustable so as to permit the adjustment of the rotary sand cutting and mixing members 31. The bearing are mounted on hangers 33 which are also secured to, preferably made integral with, the carriage 4-1, so as to permit the vertical adjustment of the bearings 33 in unison with the bearings 34.

The carriage 41 carries a rotary driving shaft 13 and this is connected by a sprocketchain a l with a supplemental driving shaft 45 on the support 20, said shaft 45 being mounted below the main driving shaft 27, as shown in Fig. 1, and being driven thereby by means of a sprocket chain 46. By reason of this arrangement power may be transmitted to the driving shaft 43 without interfering with the vertical adjustment of the cutting and mixing devices, because the sprocket chain 441- permits such vertical. adjustment, the shaft 43 moving about the shaft 45 as an axis, and being guided in such movement by means of rods or bars 18,

Fig. 1.

The driving shaft 43 is gear connected by means of gears and 51 with another driving shaft 52 also carried by the carriage 11, and this latter driving shaft 52 is connected by means of bevel gears 53 and 54: with the shafts 32 of the rotary cutting members 31, so that the latter may be driven by power transmitting connection from the main driving shaft 27 and the motor 21.

For raising and lowering the carriage -11 carrying the cutting and mixing devices and their operating mechanism, I show a pair of ropes whose lower ends are attached by means of hooks 5858 to the carriage ll and whose upper ends pass over wheels or pulleys oil--59 mounted on the shaft 13 hereinbefore referred to. The shaft 13 is turned so as to wind or unwind the ropes 57-57 and adjust the carriage 41, by means of a hand wheel 60 mounted on a rod 61, the upper end of which is provided with a worm 62 meshing in a worm gear 63 on said shaft 13, the rod 61 being mounted in suitable bearings on the frame of the machine. Thus by turning the hand wheel (30 adjustment of the cutting and mixing devices may be secured.

Thus it will. be seen that the machine may be operated by means of the lever 25 which can control the moven'ient of the machine along the ground or floor and can also control the action of the cutting and mixing devices. This lever 25, because of its two adjustments each way ,permits the machine and its operating mechanism to have two speeds. forward and back. The machine may be guided by the guide wheels 33 under the control of the handles 17, and it will be necessary to manipulate only one of these handles 17, inasmuch as the two are connected together. At any time cutting and mixing apparatus may be adjusted by the wheel 60 to a higher or lower position, so as to accommodate piles of sand of different height, or for other purposes.

It will be understood that. changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

"Vhat I claim is:

1.111 apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped cutting devices pointing down 'ardly and inwardly and substan" tially meeting at their inner ends in coinbination with means for rotating said cuttin devices at a high speed so as to cut sand.

2.111 apparatus of the class specified, c'onically shaped cutting devices pointing downwardly and inwardly and substantially meeting at their inner ends. in combination with means for supporting said devices in fixed relationship to one another and means for rotating same at a high speed so as to o t a d 3. In apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped cutting devices having theirlowersides substantially horizontal, in combination with means for rotating said devices at a high speed so as to cut sand.

4; A machine of the class specified comprising sand treating devices mounted on the medial portions of upwardly extending rotary shafts, bearings for the-lower ends of-said shafts, other bearingsfor the'upper portionsof the shafts, andgearing'for driving said shafts connectedwith the upper end portions thereof and a power device for driving said gearing.

5. A machine oftheyclass. specified, comprising sand treating devices *mounted on the medial portions of upwardly extending rotary shafts, bearings "for the lower ends of said shafts, other bearings for the upper portions of the shafts, and gearing for driving said shafts connectedwith the upper end portions thereof, an upwardly and downwardly adjustable carriage supporting said bearings and power transmitting connection tosaid gearing, said connection'being "adapted to permit the forward and downwardmovement of the carriage.

6. In apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped cutting devices zpointing downwardly and inwardly and having their lower sides horizontally and their other sides substantially vertical and close to -one another.

7. A device-of the class specified, comprisingsand treating devices mounted on the medial portions of upwardly extending rotary shafts, bearings for the lower ends and also for u per portions of said shafts, an upwardly and downwardly adjustable carriage on which said bearings are mounted, gearing'connected to theupperend'portions of said shafts and power transmitting connection connected-with said gearing'and adap-tedtopermit the upward and downward a-djustmnt of said carriage.

8. A machine of theclass specified com- ;prising sand treating devices mounted on rotary shafts which extend upwardly and outwardly from the middle of-thc machine, an upwardly and downwardly adjustable carriage carrying said shafts, and power transmitting connection connected-with the upper ends of said shafts andadapted to permit the upwardly and downwardly adjustment of said carriage.

9. A machine of the class sp ecified,co1nprising sand treating devices mounted -on rotary shafts which extend upwardly and 'out-wardlyfrom the middle ofthe machine,

an upwardly and downwardly adjustablecarriage carryingsaid shafts, and power transmitting"connection connected with the upper ends "of said shafts and adapted-to permit'the upwardly and downwardly adjustment of said carriage, power transmitting connection includinggears mountedaon the upper ends'of said shafts and a sprocket driven driving shaft carrying said gears.

' 10. Amachine ofsthe-class specified, comprising sand treating devices mountedon rotary shafts which extend upwardly and outwardly from th'emiddle ofthe machine, an upwardly and downwardly adjustable carriagecarrying said shafts, power-transmitting connection connected withrthe'upper ends of said shafts and adapted to permit the-upwardly and downwardly adjustment of said carriage, power transmitting connection including gears mounted on the upper'ends of said shafts, and a sprocket driven driving shaft carryingsaid gears, said carriage being provided with a centrally 'located, downwardly extending member, the lower end of whichcarries'the lower bearings for said shafts;

11. In apparatus of the class specified, conicallyshaped sand'cutting devices pointing'downwardlyand inwardly, in combination with means for rotating said devices *at'a high speed so as to cut sand.

12. In apparatus ,of'the class specified, conically shaped sand cutting devices-pointing downwardly and'inwa-rdly, in combination with means for'supporting said devices and rotating the sameinuni-son and-means for rotating said devices atra high speed so as tocut sand.

13. In apparatus of the'fclass specified, coni'cally shaped sand cutting deviceshpointing downwardly and inwardly, in combination with means for vertically adjusting said devices and means for rotating said devices at a high-speed so-as'tocut'sand.

11-. In apparatus of the .class specified, conicallys'haped sand cutting devices pointing downwardly and inwardly, in combination with means for vertically adjusting said devices'andnieans for driving the same in unison at a high speedso as to cutrsand. 15. In apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped sand cutting devices pointing inwardlyrand downwardly and having their inner ends substantially meeting one another and their under sides substantially horizontal and their other sides substantially vertical and closely "adj acent to one another.

16. Inrapparatus-of the clases specified, conically shaped sand. cutting devices 1 pointing inwardly and downwardly and having their inner ends substantially meeting one another, their-under sides substantially horizontal and their other sides substantially vertical and closely adjacent-to oneanother,

and :a carriage supporting said cutting devices *an'dmounte'd for vertical adjustment to permitivertieal adjustment of said devices.

17. In apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped-sand cutting devices pointing inwardly" and downwardly and having their inner ends substantially meeting one another, their under sides substantially horizontal and their other sides substantially vertical and closely adjacent to one another, a carriage supporting said cutting devices and mounted for vertical adjustment to permit vertical adjustment of said devices, and power transmitting connection for driving said cutting devices, said connection being adapted to permit the adjustment of said carriage.

18. In apparatus of the class specified, conically shaped sand cutting devices pointing inwardly and downwardly and having their inner ends substantially meeting one another, their under sides substantially horizontal and their other sides substantially vertical and closely adjacent to one another, a carriage supporting said cutting devices and mounted for vertical adjustment to permit vertical adjustment of said devices, and power transmitting connection for driving said cutting devices, said connection being adapted to permit the adjustment of said carriage, said carriage being provided with bearingsfor the lower ends of said cutting devices and also with bearings for the upper ends of the same.

19. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of cone shaped rotary sand cutting devices pointing inwardly and downwardlyand arranged side by side with their pointed ends adjacent one another and means for supporting said devices comprising bearings arranged side by side for the pointed ends of said devices, and other bearings separated from one another and in positions higher than the first mentioned bearings, all of said bearings being rigidly connected together and carried by an adjustablecarriage.

20. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of con-e shaped rotary sand cutting devices pointing inwardly and downwardly and arranged side by side with their pointed ends adjacent one another and means for supporting said devices comprising bearings arranged side by side for the pointed ends of said devices, and other bearings separated from one another and in positions higher than the first mentioned bearings, all of said bearings being rigidly connected together and carried by an adjustable carriage, and means for adjusting said carna e.

The combination of a pair of conically shaped sand cutting devices arranged side by side and pointed inwardly and downwardly with their lower ends close to one another, rotary shafts on which said cutting devices are mounted, said shafts being inclined upwardly and outwardly, bearings for the lower ends of said shafts and also for their upper ends, and a frame member provided with means for supporting said bearings, said frame member having a downwardly extending metal portion located between said cutting devices and having its lower end carrying the bearings for the lower ends of said rotary shafts, and also having downwardly and outwardly inclined portions providing the bearings for the upper ends of said shafts, said frame member being in the form of a vertically adjustable carriage.

22. The combination of a pair of conically shaped sand cutting devices arranged side by side and pointed inwardly and downwardly with their lower ends close to one another, rotary shafts on which said cutting devices are mounted, said shafts being inclined upwardly and outwardly, bearings for the lower ends of said shafts and also for their upper ends, and a frame member provided with means for supporting said bearings, said frame member having a downwardly extending metal portion located between said cutting devices and having its lower end carrying the bearings for the lower ends of said rotary shafts, and also having downwardly and outwardly inclined portions providing the bearings for the upper ends of said shafts, said frame member being in the form of a vertically adjustable carriage. and power transmitting connection by which said cutting devices may be rotated irrespective of the position in adjustment of said frame member.

23. A machine of the class specified, comprising a plurality of rotary upwardly and downwardly extending sand cutting memhere, a carriage carrying said members and arranged for upward and downward movement, said carriage being provided with means for holding said members side by side and close to one another, means for adjusting said carriage in an upward and downward manner, means for driving said cutting members, said driving means being adapted to permit the upward and down ward movement of the carriage, and independent means for moving the machine.

24. In combination, a chassis, a power plant thereon, a vertically adjustable frame at the front of the chassis, said frame carrying conically shaped sand cutting members adapted and arranged to act upon a pile of sand resting on the floor or surface on which the machine travels and said frame being vertically adjustable above said floor to permit said cutting devices to be positioned close to the floor and to be raised from the same, and power transmitting connections between said power plant and said cutting devices for driving the latter.

'25. In combination, a chassis, a power plant thereon, a vertically adjustable frame at the front of the chassis, said frame carrying conically shaped sand cutting members adapted and arranged to act upon a pile of sand resting on the floor or surface on which the machine travels and said frame being llll) vertically adjustable above said floor to permit said cutting devices to be positioned close to the floor and to be raised from the same, power transmitting connections between said power plant and said cutting devices for driving the latter, and means for raising and lowering said frame and holding the same in adjusted position.

26. In combination, a chassis, a power plant on the chassis near the rear thereof, driving wheels at the front of the chassis, a steering wheel at the rear thereof, sand cutting devices at the front of the chassis and having upwardly and downwardly extending axes of rotation, a carriage carrying said cutting devices and arranged for vertical adjustment to permit adjustment of said cutting devices above and close to the floor or surface on which the machine travels, a driving connection between the cutting devices and power plant and a driving connection between the power plant and the front driving wheels.

27. A machine of the class specified, comprising a plurality of upwardly and downwardly extending rotary cutting devices, an upwardly and downwardly movable carriage carrying said devices and provided with means for holding the same in position side by side and close to one another, said holding means having a supporting member extending down between said cutting devices and engaging the lower ends thereof, and means for raising and lowering said carriage, said means comprising lifting members connected to the opposite sides of the carriage.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of September, A. D. 1919.

VERNE E. MINICH. 

